Discrimination

  • April 17, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Doctor's PeaceHealth Whistleblower Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel has reinstated a psychiatrist's claims that PeaceHealth Inc. retaliated against him for expressing concerns about potential Medicaid fraud at a Washington hospital, concluding on Friday that the district court overlooked evidence that the employer punished him by not renewing his employment contract.

  • April 17, 2026

    States Seek Win To Restore DOE's Diversity Grant Cuts

    Eight states have asked a Massachusetts federal judge to restore $160 million to federal programs providing professional development to new teachers cut by the U.S. Department of Education last year, which the states said were unlawfully targeted by the Trump administration as diversity initiatives.

  • April 17, 2026

    Settlement Ends High Court Fight Over Arbitration Deference

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed in a now-settled case relating to a vacated arbitral award favoring a former water treatment company director, which sought clarity from the justices on whether courts can second-guess the content of arbitral pleadings and filings.

  • April 17, 2026

    'Systemic' Bias Norm At Taiwan Semiconductor, Engineer Says

    A software engineer for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has alleged the microchip-maker systematically discriminates against women by hiring them less frequently than men, underpaying women and fostering a "sexually-charged environment" rife with innuendo and harassment.

  • April 17, 2026

    11th Circ. Backs School District In Black Worker's Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit upheld the dismissal Friday of a Black Alabama school district worker's suit claiming she was transferred to a different job out of racial discrimination, ruling her employer showed the decision was based on her concerns about her workload, not her race.

  • April 17, 2026

    Baltimore Hospital Must Face EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A Baltimore-area hospital can't defeat a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it unlawfully rescinded a nurse's job offer because she's deaf, with a Maryland federal judge saying a jury needs to weigh whether the medical center made an adequate attempt to accommodate her.

  • April 17, 2026

    EEOC Says Halting Penn Subpoena Would Compromise Probe

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission argued in a federal court filing Friday that allowing the University of Pennsylvania to freeze the agency's subpoena for information on the school's Jewish employees would undercut its investigation into antisemitism on campus.

  • April 17, 2026

    Penn State Beats Claims In Ex-Trustee's Suit Over His Ousting

    A federal judge threw out most of a former Pennsylvania State University trustee's lawsuit against the university and its board Friday, but let his First Amendment claims continue so that the court could consider whether he was acting as a public employee, a private citizen or an elected official.

  • April 17, 2026

    Oil Giants Among Client List Of EEOC General Counsel Pick

    President Donald Trump's nominee for general counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has represented some of the largest oil producers and service providers in North America, including Chevron, according to a new financial disclosure report obtained by Law360 Friday.

  • April 17, 2026

    Zales Worker's Age Bias Suit Lacks Evidence, 3rd Circ. Says

    The Third Circuit backed the dismissal of a Zales consultant's bias suit claiming she was fired from the jewelry chain for complaining that her colleagues commented negatively about her age, ruling she couldn't overcome evidence that concerns about her performance actually drove her termination.

  • April 17, 2026

    Calif. Forecast: 9th Circ. To Weigh Arb. Fight In Tesla Bias Suit

    In the next week, attorneys should keep an eye out for Ninth Circuit oral arguments in a discrimination case against Tesla Inc. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  • April 17, 2026

    Jury Backs Md. Agency In Ex-Bus Inspector's Race Bias Suit

    A Maryland federal jury sided with the state's Motor Vehicle Administration in a Black former bus inspector's suit claiming she was fired for complaining that a supervisor refused to address colleagues' and bus operators' racist behavior, finding she hadn't established that her complaint prompted her termination.

  • April 17, 2026

    NY Forecast: NYC Fights Uber And DoorDash's Tip Law Suit

    In the week ahead, a federal judge will consider New York City's request to dismiss Uber and DoorDash's challenge to a pair of city laws that regulate how food delivery platforms display tipping options.

  • April 17, 2026

    Univ. Of Tenn. To Pay $30K After DOL Medical Leave Probe

    The University of Tennessee will pay more than $30,000 in back wages after an investigation found it forced an auditor to resign while the worker was on protected medical leave, the U.S. Department of Labor said.

  • April 16, 2026

    Colo. Judge Upholds $11.5M Award In HR Group Bias Suit

    A Colorado federal judge upheld a jury's verdict and $11.5 million award to a former employee of a global human resources association in her discrimination lawsuit against her past employer, rejecting the association's bid for a new trial.

  • April 16, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Security Officer's Firing OK For Court Review

    The Ninth Circuit found Thursday that it was fair game for a jury to consider whether a nuclear facility manager illegally fired a security officer due to his prescription opioid use, ruling the revocation of his fitness-for-duty certification didn't amount to a security clearance decision blocked from judicial review.

  • April 16, 2026

    Fla. Panel Upholds Ex-Worker's Postclaim Arbitration Deal

    A Florida state appellate panel on Wednesday barred a woman from pursuing sexual discrimination allegations against her former employer in court, saying she agreed to arbitrate her claims in a settlement that followed her initial U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission charge. 

  • April 16, 2026

    Feds Can't Stay Trans Healthcare Orders During Appeal

    The Trump administration won't be able to enforce two executive orders that ban federal funding for gender-affirming care for patients under the age of 19 while the federal government appeals a nationwide injunction blocking the orders, the Fourth Circuit ruled Thursday. 

  • April 16, 2026

    Ex-Housing Worker Drops Punitive Damages Bid Against Boss

    A former Charlotte public housing authority coordinator awarded $2.34 million for her hostile work environment claims, has opted not to pursue punitive damages against her ex-supervisor, who was found liable for only $1 in compensatory damages.

  • April 16, 2026

    Michigan City, Police Brass Hit With Retaliation Claims

    Two decorated former Wyandotte police officers who say they were punished for speaking out about abusive policing practices that include excessive force and falsified reports, are suing the city and its current and prior police chiefs in Michigan federal court, alleging their rights to free speech were violated.

  • April 16, 2026

    Jury Sides With VA In Fired Male Counselor's Bias Suit

    A Texas federal jury rejected a lawsuit from a male former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs counselor claiming his boss refused to promote him because he wanted to give the job to a woman, finding he hadn't established that his sex drove the agency's decision.

  • April 16, 2026

    Adidas Fired Exec Over Gender Bias Complaints, Suit Says

    Adidas fired its head of women's basketball marketing for complaining that her department didn't get the same resources as its men's basketball marketing team, according to a suit filed by the former executive in Oregon state court.

  • April 16, 2026

    DOL Benefits Chief Pressed On Labor Secretary's Conduct

    The head of the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm faced tough questions from House Democrats at an oversight hearing Thursday, fielding questions about the labor secretary's on-the-job conduct as well as the DOL's take on mental health parity enforcement. 

  • April 16, 2026

    Ind. Judge Tells Parties AI Can't Replace Attorney Oversight

    A federal magistrate judge in Indiana told parties in an employment suit against Walmart that artificial intelligence "can be a useful discovery tool" but "is not a substitute for attorneys and litigants exercising independent judgment and oversight in the discovery process."

  • April 16, 2026

    Cummins Can't Slip Male Worker's Sex Bias Suit

    Engine manufacturer Cummins can't escape a former office technician's lawsuit claiming he was denied training and stuck with entry-level tasks for years while female colleagues were given opportunities to advance, with a North Carolina federal judge saying his complaint was detailed enough to stay in court.

Expert Analysis

  • 7 Tips For Employers On Calif. Decision-Making Tech Rules

    Author Photo

    Over the next eight months, many California employers must prepare to comply with challenging new requirements under the California Consumer Privacy Act that constitute the most comprehensive set of rules in the country on the use of automated decision-making technology, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What To Know About NY's Employment Credit Check Ban

    Author Photo

    An amendment to the New York state Fair Credit Reporting Act prohibiting applicants' or employees' consumer credit history from being used in employment-related decisions statewide will take effect in a few days, so employers should update policies, train teams and audit positions for narrow exemptions, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Gender-Expansive Calif. Equal Pay Laws Widen Employer Risk

    Author Photo

    California's recent amendments to strengthen its Equal Pay Act and Pay Transparency Act aim to shrink the wage gap, not only for women, but also for nonbinary and transgender employees, creating new compliance obligations for employers and increasing their potential exposure, say attorneys at the Jhaveri-Weeks Firm.

  • AI Recruiting Suit Shows Old Laws May Implicate New Tools

    Author Photo

    The Fair Credit Reporting Act allegations recently filed in Kistler v. Eightfold AI, are the latest example of broad definitional language in legacy statutes proving far more dangerous to companies deploying artificial intelligence – particularly in hiring – than any purpose-built artificial intelligence regulation, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • What's Missing From Latest Gov't Claims Against Harvard

    Author Photo

    The most interesting thing about the Trump administration’s recent civil rights enforcement efforts targeting Harvard University is its decision not to assert violations of the False Claims Act when given the opportunity, despite signals that its enforcement efforts will include use of the federal FCA, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • Preparing For New Calif. Pay Data Reporting Requirements

    Author Photo

    California's S.B. 464 overhauls the state's pay data reporting framework by requiring employers to use job categories that are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, increasing both the potential visibility of pay disparities and the complexity of compliance, say attorneys at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Justices May Hesitate To Limit Courts' Arbitration Review

    Author Photo

    Based on Monday's argument in Jules v. Andre Balazs, the U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to preserve federal jurisdiction over arbitral award enforcement stemming from actions originated in federal court, a holding that would markedly limit the court's 2022 Walters v. Badgerow decision, says Ashwini Jayaratnam at DarrowEverett.

  • Spotlight On Legal Battles Over EEOC Subpoena Powers

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Wilson Elser consider the spate of litigation over the past year, spurred by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s focus on alleged religious discrimination at universities, and corporate diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and how it may affect the attempts to assert privacy rights against the agency's broad subpoena powers.

  • NFL Hiring Bias Ruling Signals Trend Away From Arbitration

    Author Photo

    A New York federal court's recent decision in Flores v. NFL, declining to compel arbitration in a class action alleging racial discrimination in the league's hiring practices, reflects courts' increasing reluctance to allow private dispute resolution for systemic discrimination claims, says Masood Ali at Segal McCambridge.

  • Flashpoints In Focus: Harassment At Work After Epstein Files

    Author Photo

    The recent release of millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking scheme has renewed a movement to hold perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment responsible, making it a perfect time for employers to ensure they have a strong system for preventing and addressing workplace harassment, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • NYC Leave Law Expands Compliance Beyond Written Policies

    Author Photo

    Following recent amendments to New York City's Earned Safe and Sick Time Act that expand its uses, give employees 32 hours of immediately available time off and create a right to request schedule changes, compliance now turns on whether employees can use time off without facing barriers or discipline, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • 3rd Circ. Must Reject EEOC's Flawed Equal Pay Theory

    Author Photo

    To avoid illogical outcomes, the Third Circuit, in Cartee-Haring and Marinello v. Central Bucks School District, should refute the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recently filed amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs’ bias claims based on pay compared with one single co-worker, say Allan King at Littler and Stephen Bronars at Edgeworth Economics.

  • How Cos. Should Prepare For NY RAISE Act Compliance

    Author Photo

    With the New York Responsible AI Safety and Education Act taking effect March 19, state regulators will expect subject artificial intelligence governance policies to understand whether appropriate safeguards and protocols are in place to prevent or mitigate discriminatory or adverse outcomes by frontier models, says Michael Paulino at Gordon Rees.